Along the Journey: Rue
by Tridentsandsugarcubes
Summary: Along Katniss's journey to the rebellion, there are different detours she takes and people she meets. One of the most pertinent being Rue. Here is her life and how she ended up in the Hunger Games. Rated T for the hunger games.
1. Chapter 1

T**his is Rue's story on the path of Katniss,** **as you are aware. A little background, Dahlia is Rue's older sister of whom she never told Katniss about, because she died in the games. This chapter is the preliminary reaping, which Katniss was correct about. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned the Hunger games, Rue would have won and Finnick and Annie would have lived happily ever after on the beach. Obviously, this is not what happened so by the geometrical transitive property, I do not own the Hunger Games. **

I love District 11. From the huge beautiful orchards to the people in it. They are so kind. Well, other than the peacekeepers. They aren't too kind. My older sister Dahlia used to say that you should love everyone, no matter once. I wonder if had she known her fate would she still say that. But, today's my first reaping, so I need to stop dwelling in the past. Of course, today isn't the real realing, just the preliminary drawing. Tomorrow the real reaping will take place. Then two children will be sent off to die, just like Dahlia. It could be me, I have six names in. But while that doesn't compare to the older kids, it's alot for my age.

The good news is, we don't have to dress up or anything today, just work. I love climbing through the treetops, feeling the wind in my hair and hearing the mockingjays sing my song. I pull on some shorts and a t-shirt. I skip along to the part of the orchard I work at. Thank the Lord it's Saturday, so no school! Mom doesn't have a job at the orchard, she stays back with my five younger siblings. I reach the tree I'm supposed to start on today and begin climbing. I scale the quickly, and am up thirty yards in a matter of seconds. I pick ripe fruit off the skinny branches.

I bounce on to the next tree. I shimmy up a little higher. By lunchtime, I fill my basket up with fruit. I give it to the peacekeepers and they hand me a little bit of money. I go to the market and buy some bread. It's only a little, but it can suffice for my little sisters.

On the way home, I run into Thresh Arrox. He was my sister Dahlia's old boyfriend. He is very nice and caring to me, but it is often aggresive and reserved around other people. "Hi Thresh," I say.

"Hey Rue."

In his hands he has a whole grooslong in his hands. I try not to stare, but Thresh sees me eyeing it. "Here," he says, handing it to me.

"Oh no, I can't, really," I say.

"Take it, you need it more. Y'all can eat it for dinner. It's just my grandma and I. You have a lot more mouths to feed."

"Okay, thank you so much Thresh! We'll eat it after the reaping tomorrow!"

He nodded and walked away. I skip home in joy. "Mother," I call, "I'm home!"

"What do you have here?" She says excitedly.

"Tesserae bread," I say hiding to bird behind my backs from my mom and sister. My little sister Paisey reaches around and pulls it out. All of the sudden, ten needy little hands reach for the food. "No, no, no. This is for after the reaping tomorrow," I say, pushing them away.

"Where did you get it?" Asked my ten year old sister Anne Lace, who we call Queenie.

"Thresh gave me it."

My mom sighed. "Thresh is a nice boy."

I nod in agreement. "Yes, he is."

For lunch we have tesserae bread and water. My dad was still in the grain fields, he wouldn't need lunch. The small amount of bread was barely enough to feed us, and that is with my mom and I only getting little sliver. Now there is no more work for a day and a half, for the reaping of course.

At about half past two, there was a knocking at the door. I'm playing with Paisey, so at first I don't hear it. My mom is out back. "Open the door now!" Shouts an angry voice.

I rush to the door. Outside are two peacekeepers. This can't be good. "Oh I am so sorry sirs, I didn't hear the door."

"Are you... Rue Winst?"

"Yes sir, that's me."

"This morning the preliminary reapings were held, you know about that right?"

I nod. District 11 is the biggest district in Panem, so each day, the day before the reaping, they pulled several peoples names so they could single out some people to not come to the real reaping. That way, it wouldn't be so crowded. "You are required to go to the reaping tomorrow."

My heart sunk to my stomach. I can't go to the games, I just can't. I need to be here for my sisters. They've already lost Dahlia. I try not to break down and hyperventilate. Mom comes in the house with Chrysanthemum, the second youngest sister. "Who was at the door?"

"No one," I say quickly. "I'm going to go see Jare and Dannie."

Jare and Dannie are my best friends. I need help before I go to tell my parents. On my way out, I see Thresh running to my house. "Little girl, you're okay, no? They didn't pick you right?"

"Well..."

"Oh no Rue! This can't happen. No you won't be picked, I promise," he said, trying to console himself.

"Are you going?"

He nodded. I hugged him. He didn't hug me back, but he wasn't that kind of person. "What did your mom say?"

"I didn't really tell her yet."

"You need to, it will be okay. You won't be picked, you don't have so many names in, compared to a lot of people."

I nod. My father came walking up the road. _Go_, Thresh gestured. I ran over to my dad. "Rue," he said, "You weren't there to tell us we could leave, so we ended up staying too long!"

I laughed unenthusiastically. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"I need to talk to you and mom."

"Okay," he said.

I pulled him in. "Mom!" I yelled.

"Yes?"

"Mom, dad, today a peacekeeper came to our house and told me... Told me... That tomorrow I have to go to the reaping."

"Oh hon, I'm so sorry."

My mom pulled me into a hug. I felt tears pouring down my face. "Rue, sweetheart, it will be okay, no matter what happens."

I nod. I stay like that, in my mother's arms like a baby, for a long time. Until she had to fix us some dinner. I ate nothing, I lost my appetite at the thought that I would have to kill or be killed if I am entered into these infernal games.

Then I go to bed and quietly cry myself to sleep.

**(A/N) This is just a little experiment. If not many people like it I won't continue. But please like it or at least review so I know your opinions!**


	2. To Be Reaped, Or Not To Be Reaped?

**Hey! Looks like you continued to read to the second chapter, so thanks! I hope you like it! Review me or pm me if you do or don't and I will give you a cybercookie!**

**Disclaimer: I have yet to write something more than decent, let alone to write something as amazing as the Hunger Games. **

The morning of the reaping and my nails are officially stubs. Maybe it's just because it's my first reaping, but I am exceedingly scared. If I get reaped, there is no chance that I could survive. None. Zero. Goose eggs. I play with Paisey and the rest of my sisters till the very last second, seeing as it could be the last time I do.

When it's time to get ready, my mom pulls out an old dress that was my grandmother's. I expected hand-me-downs, but this one wasn't so bad. It was a white sun dress and only had a small hole on the side. I look at myself in the mirror. I'm a spitting image of Dahlia. She wore this on her first reaping too. My third youngest sister Daisy comes and hugs me. "What's wrong sissie?"

I sighed. Daisy and my other sisters have yet to understand the cruelty of the capitol. "Well Daisy, today I might have to go somewhere far away for a long time."

"No you can't go away."

"I probably won't have to."

"I made you this," she hands me a grass woven necklace. "I made it myself."

"It's very pretty, thank you so much."

"Rue, Daisy," my mom came in and said. "It's time to go to the reaping."

A foreboding sense of dread came over me. I can't go to the reaping today, something in the universe is telling me no. I have to though. I try to release all those negative feelings. Most likely, I won't be picked. Rarely does a twelve year old ever get picked. This is because no matter how much tessera they have, an older kid will have more. I try to act as ordinary as possible, not to attract attention from my sisters that something was wrong. I get my finger pricked. It hurts a little bit, but only for a second. I watch the ruby red blood drop fall from my finger to the peice of paper.

The blood reminds me of Dahlia's blood. It was three years ago and Dahlia was fourteen, and I was nine. I can almost feel the axe chop her head off still. The girl who killed her won, and everyone at first thought she was weak. They all underestimated her, even Dahlia. Maybe if they hadn't, the vicious bloodthirsty girl might not have won. Johanna Mason.

"Next!" I hear the woman who took my blood shout in my face.

Ew, she spit a little when she did that. I wipe it off and go to look for Dannie, who is with the rest of the twelve year old girls. I really wanted to see Thresh before he got to his area, but I didn't want to fight through all the big kids to get to him. Unfortunately, Dannie has to come to the reaping also. But she's a lot less likely to be picked. She has one name because she has to and three names in for tessera. I have one name because I have to and eight tessera.

I held the hands of Dannie and the girl next to me. The mayor aproaches the podeium on stage and begins to recite the treaty of treason. Since the rebellion that happened many many years ago, the capitol defeated 12 districts and destroyed the 13th. As payment, each year they take a girl and a boy from each remaining district, chosen in a reaping. These children between the ages of 12 and 18 would be sent to the capitol to participate in a televised fight to the death.

A cruel reminder that no matter what we do, we can never beat the capitol. The way our mayor says it with such pride and honor disgusts me. He is a cruel man who enjoys making us suffer. He has no reason to be afraid of the games because he has no children.

After he finishes making his speech, our escort comes to draw the poor unfortunaye souls. He is odd. His name is Azule I think. His body is totally blue and his hair is very high, and red. "Happy Hunger Games," he says in his high capitol accent."And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Happy? No, 23 children dying is not happy. I see a mockingjay sitting on the nearby whipping post and I hum him my song. He sings it back. It brings a smile to my face. "The honorable representative for the ladies will be..."

I bow my head and squeeze the two girls hands. Please not me, please not me.

"Rue Winst!"

Oh God, I'm gonna die. I look at Dannie. She is shocked. I lift my head up and hold in my tears. I walk up to the stage. There are so many people in the audience. So many people. "Any volunteers?"

The square held that unnatural silence. I looked to my family. Mom was crying. Paisey was crying too, just because mom was. I couldn't look at them or I would start crying too. I instead looked back at the mentors, Chaff and Seeder. Chaff was big and scary, with one arm missing and he was often drunk. Seeder though has kind eyes.

They call up the boy. It's Thresh. Talk about the worst day in my life! Thresh would win for sure. He's so big and strong. There are no volunteers for him. We shake hands. "I give you the tributes of district 11!" Azule shouted.

Then the peacekeepers came and took us to the Justice Building.

**(A/N) There was the reaping. Chapters will get longer, I promise! Please please please review! I need to know whether it's good or not. If no one reviews I'm deleting it!**


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